Discover: Craft Boner
“I started experimenting with hand-lettering in 2014 and realized that putting cursive hand-lettering on cards brought me more joy than I ever could have imagined.
Tell us about yourself! What’s your background and what do you do?
My name is Kiwi and I'm both the brains and brawn behind Craft Boner! I do everything from hand-lettering the designs for the greeting cards and other products, to shipping out orders and answering emails. I sort of wound up starting my business by accident. I've always loved to create things but I never thought it would be something that would become a career path or anything. I grew up in the mountains in Winter Park but I couldn't wait to "get out" of Colorado and only applied to colleges out of state. I went to college in Missouri and got a journalism degree before moving to New Zealand for a year. After that I moved to Boulder then to New York City then finally realized that I liked Colorado more than I wanted to admit and moved to Denver in 2012. I initially started Craft Boner as a creative outlet and did it part-time while I worked at a local screen-printing shop. About 4 years ago I went all-in and made it my day job much to the surprise of everyone, myself included.
How did you learn your craft? Tell us about your first finished product.
Pretty much every single thing I do with my business is trial-and-error and experimentation. When I initially starting selling on Etsy, I was making jewelry but quickly transitioned to handmade greeting cards. When I first started I was stamping each card by hand, then I progressed to using a vinyl cutter to create designs. I started experimenting with hand-lettering in 2014 and realized that putting cursive hand-lettering on cards brought me more joy than I ever could have imagined. I'm pretty much an entirely self-taught artist but I'm continually trying new mediums. Since I started I've taken several hand-lettering classes and realized that I do everything "wrong" technically but it works for me so I keep at it. When I first started I was drawing everything with pen and paper but I've since transitioned to the iPad so now all of my work is digital.
Where does the name of your business come from?
Hahahahahahahahaha. I am pretty sure that everybody expects some sort of salacious back story when they hear the name "Craft Boner" but sadly that's just not the case. Back in 2011 I was working in technology in New York and felt like my creativity was being stifled so I decided I wanted to start my own DIY blog. One day my friends and I were out thrifting and I pointed at a floral armchair and said, "I have such a boner for that chair!" And my friend's eyes lit up and he said, "Craft Boner! That's it!" And because I was in my early 20s and that made me chuckle I progressed ahead with that name without thinking through any of the consequences or challenges of having "boner" in my business name. My dad still asks me to re-name my business every time I talk to him.
How long does it take to make your product and what’s involved in the process?
Every product (whether it's a card or a keychain) starts as a phrase or concept I've written down on my huge master idea list. Then I start drawing on my iPad, which can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 20 hours depending on how well the drawing is flowing. Then I have to format every design for production. Certain things like greetings cards I send to a digital printer in Idaho but other things like keychains I cut via laser cutter in my furnace room office. No matter the product - there's usually a pretty large gap of time from when I first have the idea in my head to when I actually get to hold the finished product. And even when I get the finished product in my hands I still have to design packaging and then do photography. That's probably the most frustrating part for me - I'm not patient at all and I want to share things the second I make them. But I've learned over the years that people really do appreciate all the small details and behind-the-scenes work.
Where does your inspiration come from?
One of my favorite things about myself is that I tend to find inspiration everywhere, from my friends and boyfriend to pop culture to a derelict sign on the side of the road. But when I'm in the need of a solid dose of inspiration I love to go to the thrift store. Something about the patterns and colors and book covers and records and weird art always recharges my creative batteries.
What’s your favorite product that you’ve created?
Oh this is like choosing a favorite child! Usually it tends to be whatever I've created last so I think I'm going to go with my laser-cut keychains. I have one on my keys and it never fails to make me smile.
What question do you get asked the most at pop-up markets?
I think the thing I get asked most is how I come up with the phrases that I put on my greeting cards. The answer is always just that I put things on cards that I would want to send to people. The second most popular question is if I want to be friends with the question-asker and the answer to that is almost always yes.
What’s something unique about you that most people don’t know (or wouldn’t guess)?
People always think that I can draw well but in reality I pretty much only know how to draw letters. If someone asked me to draw them a cow or something it would probably wind up looking like a manatee.
What’s your favorite beverage to sip on?
I'm a fiend for water. Some people would say that's boring but I think proper hydration is sexy.
What’s up next for Craft Boner?
I have no clue! It's all about experimenting. I'm going to try to make some YouTube videos of me crafting to make people chuckle. I'm also going to dip my toe a little bit into making some t-shirts and other fun apparel. I might not exactly know what I want to do next but I do know I want to continue to make people chuckle.
If you weren't doing this, what would you be doing?
I feel like alternate reality me would probably be trying to be a set decorator in Hollywood. Either that or if I had a bit more courage I'd try my hand at stand-up comedy.
Shop the craft boner website for buy one get one cards until april 30!
